Health of the baby touches the heart of every family, especially when children are sick, that anxiety and unease pervade among every family member. Sometimes children find it difficult to express their discomfort accurately, seeing them listless or crying due to injections, parents, not to mention how uncomfortable they feel. Changes in a new environment or among people, such as starting kindergarten, may also make some babies feel uncomfortable, leading to symptoms of internal heat, such as a throat inflammation. At this time, the elders may suggest giving the child watermelon to alleviate it. Is this method effective?
In fact, watermelon does have some help in alleviating sore throats, it can help with diuresis, suitable for consumption during colds and fever to aid detoxification and reduce heat, but it should be consumed in moderation, excessive consumption is not advisable. Watermelon is rich in vitamin C, which can enhance the child’s immunity and be beneficial for recovery. However, before adopting this dietary method, it is important to differentiate whether the baby’s throat problem is due to throat congestion (often caused by viral infections) or enlarged tonsils (which may involve bacterial infections). The treatments for these two conditions are not the same. If the throat inflammation is caused by bacterial infection, high-sugar foods, including fruits like watermelon, and sweet drinks should be avoided to prevent bacteria from multiplying and worsening the condition. In addition, frozen watermelon may stimulate the body and is not recommended, unless it is soaked in well water, which is relatively mild.
It is important to note that not all constitutions are suitable for consuming watermelon. For example, those with weak heart and liver functions may worsen the “stagnant heat” in the body due to the dispersing nature of watermelon; those with poor spleen and stomach functions may lead to spleen and stomach deficiencies, affecting digestion, and triggering deficiencies when consumed, in such cases, watermelon should be avoided to prevent deterioration. Any food should be consumed in moderation, excessive consumption is not advisable.
In the child’s journey of growth, minor illnesses and pains are inevitable, parents do not need to be overly anxious to avoid additional psychological burden on the child. If it is just throat inflammation without accompanying symptoms such as fever, increasing water intake and taking some heat-clearing and detoxifying Chinese medicine is also feasible. But if accompanied by symptoms such as fever, cough, prompt medical attention is necessary to avoid deterioration of the condition. When sick, a child’s immune system is more fragile, besides supplementing with vitamins and strengthening nutrition, attention should be paid to isolation and protection to prevent cross-infections in crowded places like kindergartens.
